The Choices We Make
by teenagejustice
Summary: One will live. One will die. The choice is theirs.


_**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or anyone in the DC universe. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_**A/N: This is just a little random something that popped into my head during Math class. Not a clue where it came from. NOT SLASH!  
**_

_**Warnings: blood, character death, Robin's naughty words.**_

_Italics- Flashback _

* * *

"Ow."

Artemis groaned as she opened her eyes. Not her best idea, because the light from the flames dancing and leaping around her burned her brown orbs. She snapped her head to the other side, which was also a bad idea, because it made her acutely aware of the pain pulsing through her skull. She gradually stood up, her vision swimming as she did so. 'What the…' And then she remembered.

_The mission._

_God, it was supposed to be so simple. Get in, get what they needed, get out. Sounds easy, right?_

_**WRONG****!** No one, not even Batman knew that the League of Shadows would be waiting for them. No one knew there was gonna be a bomb. No one knew, and no one was ready…_

_"Robin! Hurry up!"_

_"Come on, Artemis! Let's go!"_

_"There's not enough time!" The Boy Wonder shouted. At a shared glance, the two non-metas shoved Wally and M'gann through the door just as the bomb went off._

Wait… Robin.

Where was Robin?

Panic seized Artemis's chest. "Robin! ROBIN!" She called frantically before a hand was clamped over her mouth.

"Hey, I'm right here, Arty." Artemis didn't get ticked this time at her nickname, but rather threw her arms around the younger teen. He patted her back. "I know, but right now we need to get out of here before the whole building comes down on us."

Just then the two heard a cracking sound above them, and dived out of the way of a large burning piece of wood that fell from the rafters. Artemis grabbed Robin's hand and yanked him through the building. "Come on, Bird Boy. I remember seeing a storm cellar or something this way. We can wait the-" And the wooden floorboards gave way under them.

Robin yelled, "**SHIT!**" and Artemis screamed as they fell through the floor, racing down some sort of ramp before hitting a cold steel floor at the bottom. Pain blossomed in Robin's head as Artemis rubbed her rear end. "Ugh. It feels like I have skid marks on my butt."

Robin laughed shortly and winced, putting a tentative on his ribs. 'Damn it. Must've broken a few when the bomb went off.'

"You okay?" Artemis asked.

Robin shook off the pain. "Yeah, I'm good." He hauled himself off the floor and offered the archer a hand, pulling her to her feet. "I think we're safe down here."

"And we have no way to get out or know when the fire's been put out."

"This is not a very asterous day!" At that moment four steel walls with a roof came falling to the floor with a mighty crash, connecting themselves with the steel floor. The teens instinctively stood back to back at the loud sound, surprised to find that they were now boxed in.

"What the hell?" The bird tapped at the wall suspiciously, only to receive a jolt of electricity. "Ow!"

"What?" Artemis asked, coming to stand next to the Boy Wonder.

"The walls are wired with electric charges."

"I wouldn't advise touching anything," a smooth feminine voice said over a speaker. "Unless you want to find out how a grilled patty feels."

"Who are you?" Robin shouted.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you two have a decision to make."

"And that would be...?"

"One of you stays in this room and dies. The other leaves-" a steel door with a window swung open- "and gets to live. The choice is yours. Oh, and don't try to both get through the door at once or getting out the window, because after one person both will close and cut off any body parts in its way. Now choose."

"And what happens if we refuse to choose?"

"Then both of you will get to join Jason Todd."

"Who?"

"Nevermind him. Choose."

Robin turned to Artemis once the voice stopped. "Artemis, get out of here. I'll stay."

"No way. I'm staying, and you are going to get your butt out."

"Arty, please, you need to go. Tell the League what happened and make sure the team is okay. They need you."

"They need you a whole lot more than they need me!" Robin opened his mouth to protest, but the blonde cut him off. "I don't want to hear it Robin. You are way more important to the team than I am. You are leaving. Now!"

Robin's shoulders slumped dejectedly as he shuffled towards the door. Artemis had won their little debate.

The archer didn't even see what happened, but the next thing she knew she was standing outside the room with Robin's utility belt in her hands. She dropped it when the door slammed shut with a metallic clink and threw herself against the cool steel surface. "Robin!"

The little bird's face appeared in the window. "Sorry archery girl, but there is no way in hell I was going to let you throw everything away." He glanced behind him. "Look, I've only got two minutes until this bomb goes off, so this is gonna go fast. I'm okay with this, Artemis. I've saved a lot of people, I've everything possible to help Gotham, and I've lived a good life. This is it for me, and I'll die knowing I did some good. Tell the team that they were a great family. Tell Kaldur not to beat himself up over this, because I know he will, and don't you beat yourself up either. This is my choice, and nothing you could ever do or say would convince me otherwise. Tell M'gann that she'll get the cookies down, just to keep trying, and Superboy that Superman will come around. Tell the League that they were awesome, and tell Superman to quit acting like such a dick to Superboy and get over himself. Give Batman my utility belt and tell him that he was an amazing mentor and an even better dad, and tell him I'm sorry and I love him. Tell him to talk to Agent A and Diana, and that if he runs himself into the ground trying to find my killer I will come back from the grave and haunt him until he stops. Tell Roy to quit being such an angsty pretty boy and talk out his issues with Ollie, and tell him and Wally that they were the best brothers in the history of the universe. And as for you." Artemis's eyes went wide as Robin reached up and ripped the mask off his face. Richard's sapphire eyes were shining with tears, and Artemis realized that he didn't want to die, but he was willing to anyway. All for her. "Take it from Dick Grayson; you are one of the best friends that I could ever wish for. You're going to go a lot of places and do a hell of a lot of things, but remember that you are not your father. Never have been, never will be. Now, let me see that beautiful smile of yours."

That last remark really did make her smile, and Robin returned it with a soft one of his own, moving as if the cup her cheek in his hand. "That's my girl. Now haul ass, because you ARE getting out of here."

She turned and ran, tears springing to her eyes as she scooped up Robin's belt when she past it. Then Robin called, "Artemis!"

Said teen whipped around and saw Dick's face still in the window, tears rolling down his tan cheeks. He was still smiling at her. Not the smile that he used with the paparazzi, but a real, genuine smile. "Get together with Wally already. Everyone else can see that you two were totally made for each other."

And the bomb went off.

Artemis flung herself to the ground, grasping the utility belt in her hands and squeezing her eyes shut. Flames flew thought the room, heat radiating off the fiery golden tongues. The entire room shook like an unsteady bridge, pieces of steel- and flesh- falling from the air. When the shaking from the blast subsided she opened her eyes, seeing another door open before her. The voice that had spoken before said, "You are free to go."

Artemis didn't leave her spot on the floor, instead curling up in a fetal position. She was coated in Robin's blood, the scarlet liquid running in rivers down her arms and caking her hair. She stayed like that for a long time, crying quietly until she couldn't anymore.

The blonde didn't know- or care- how she ended up outside, but she did, the entire League and team locking their eyes on her. She didn't care when she stumbled and fell, or when Wally caught her and carefully eased her down to her knees. She didn't hear M'gann's scream or Superboy's animalistic roar of rage. She didn't see Kaldur drop to his knees, clutching at the ground, or feel Batman gently take the utility belt. She barely felt it when Wally wrapped his arms around her, telling her that it would be okay. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, silent sobs racking both of their fatigued bodies.

Dick made his choice. And now the Team has to deal with the consequences.

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_**A/N: Yep. I'm crying my eyes out right now. My best friend thinks I'm way too emotionally invested in this stuff.**_

_**She's probably right.**_


End file.
